Health Workers PartyList expresses concern over the reported P11.2 billion worth of expired drugs and medicines in the Department of Health, based on the 2023 Commission on Audit (COA) Report. We call for appropriate and concrete actions to address the wasteful management of drugs and medicines and hold accountable those who will be found to be negligent.
The expired supplies flagged in the 2023 report included 7,035,161 vials of COVID-19 vaccines. 24,539 bags of donated dialysis solution worth P37,561,409.33 also expired in 2023.
This was a result of “inadequate procurement planning and poor distribution and monitoring systems” that resulted in wastage of government funds and resources, according to COA.
This is unacceptable for health workers and the people who have suffered all these years from expensive and inaccessible medicines.
DOH explained that COVID 19 pandemic “was an emergency, a matter of life and death” and that COVID-19 vaccination program “did not have the benefit of years of planning and preparation, like any other routine and established vaccination programs.”
However, the recent COA report is not the first time that DOH was flagged for expired medicines. Last year COA also reported DOH’s P7.43 billion worth of medicines and other inventories were damaged, nearly expired, or already expired.
Almost yearly since 2013, billions of public funds were wasted on overstocked, expired or nearing expiry medicines according to COA Audit reports. As of 2020, the total amount reached P2.7 Billion.
This is contrary to Section 2 of Presidential Decree 1445 or the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines that said “…all resources of the government shall be managed, expended or utilized in accordance with law and regulations, and safeguarded against loss or wastage through illegal or improper disposition, with a view to ensuring efficiency, economy and effectiveness in the operations of government.”
Health workers and the Filipino people should not allow these inefficiencies and mismanagement to continue.
Together with the Filipino people, Health Workers PartyList will continue to advocate for free national public health services, including free, safe, quality and accessible medicines, and transparency and accountability in governance. #
